Systems and methods for output of information messages in a vehicle

• US 20070200732A1
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Bachmaier, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,728,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/996
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3655 Timing of guidance instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096716 where the received information does not generate an automatic action on the vehicle control
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/09675 where a selection from the received information takes place in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096791 where the origin of the information is another vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096827 where the route is computed onboard
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096838 where the user preferences are taken into account or the user selects one route out of a plurality

Abstract

A method and system is provided for the output of an information message in a vehicle, whereby an information message is stored, the current location of the vehicle is determined, a driver of the vehicle triggers an assignment of a stored information message to a location, and the information message assigned to a location is automatically emitted when the vehicle is situated at this location.

Claims

1. A method for outputting an information message in a vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

storing the information message for subsequent output;

determining a current location of the vehicle;

triggering, by a driver of the vehicle, an assignment of the stored information message to a location; and

automatically emitting the stored information message assigned to the location when the vehicle is situated at the location.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the act of one of generating, entering and selecting the information message to be stored by a driver of the vehicle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of triggering, by the driver of the vehicle, the assignment of the stored information message to the location is performed by the driver during a drive of the vehicle via actuation of an actuating element in the vehicle.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of triggering an assignment of the stored information message to a location is carried out by assigning the stored information message to the location, wherein the location is in a predefined local or time-related relationship with respect to a currently determined location of the vehicle, the assignment being triggered by the driver during the drive via actuation of an actuating element in the vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of triggering the assignment of the stored information message to a location is performed by assigning the information message to the location of the vehicle, which location is entered via an input device.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of triggering the assignment of the stored information message to a location is performed by assigning the information message to the location of the vehicle, which location is entered via an input device.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

determining a driving direction of the vehicle;

wherein the act of triggering the assignment further comprises triggering the assignment of the stored information message to the location and the driving direction of the vehicle; and

wherein the act of automatically emitting the information message further comprises automatically emitting the information message assigned to the location and the driving direction when the vehicle is situated at the location and in the driving direction.

8. A vehicle system, comprising:

a location determination device for determining a current location of a vehicle;

a storage device for storing an information message;

an input device for triggering an assignment of a stored information message to a location;

an output device for outputting an information message; and

a control device operatively configured to automatically emit the stored information message assigned to the location when the vehicle is situated at the location.

9. The vehicle system according to claim 8, wherein the control device is operatively configured to assign the stored information message, based on an input from the input device, to a location which is in a predefined local or time-related relationship with respect to a currently determined location of the vehicle output from the location determination device.

10. The vehicle system according to claim 8, wherein the location determination device further determines a driving direction of the vehicle;

wherein the input device triggers the assignment of the stored information message to both the location and the driving direction; and

wherein the control device automatically emits the information message assigned to the location and the driving direction when the vehicle is situated at the location and in the driving direction.